Results of Initial Survey on Industry Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Released
The American Staffing Association, in proud partnership with the Women Business Collaborative staffing leadership council, announces the results of the first survey on diversity, inclusion, and equity in the U.S. staffing and recruiting industry. The study, which queried executives in 489 companies, found, in part, that less than 20% of staffing agency executives are women.
Other key survey observations are
- A lack of racial diversity exists in the staffing industry, with people of color comprising well under 10% of all staff.
- The industry has a fair balance of men and women across its workforce, but imbalance occurs as leadership levels increase—with an underrepresentation of women in senior leadership roles.
- Women chief executive officers bring a unique perspective to leadership as they are more likely to drive initiatives that create a stronger and more balanced culture (including priorities around diversity).
- A profound pay gap exists between women and men in staffing and across other industries as well.
“ASA is dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion in the staffing industry—across industries, geographies, and roles, and for both temporary and corporate employees,” said Diana Mertz, ASA senior director member engagement. “The WBC survey is an important benchmark to drive efforts to advance equity for all in the industry.”
“The data in this survey and dashboard this represents a significant opportunity to drive opportunity for promotion and pay equity in leadership roles,” said Edie Fraser, WBC CEO.
Other industry partners in the WBC survey are the National Association of Professional Staffing, Staffing Industry Analysts, and TechServe Alliance.
Over the next several months the WBC staffing council will release a series of additional insights and observations from the survey. This project will be aligned with the work of the nine WBC action initiatives, which focus on ensuring equal position, pay, and power for all women across all industries and throughout the pipeline.
To learn more about ASA diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, visit americanstaffing.net/diversity.
To learn more about the WBC staffing leadership council, visit wbcollaborative.org.
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About the American Staffing Association (ASA)
The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.
